Lions, Lobsters, and Dragons? Oh My!
Before we get into who is joining, the SPHL is currently made up of nine teams in Alabama, Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Illinois, Florida, and Virginia, so bus rides can be long for some road trips. The three new franchises will add teams in South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, so the map gets a little bigger, but it also makes the map a little easier to naviagte for road trips as these three teams give better options for playing two teams in a weekend instead of just playing a baseball-like three-game series against one team.
Announced back on May 13, the SPHL welcomed the Athens Rock Lobsters into the fold as the former Federal Prospects Hockey League team will make the jump to the SPHL starting next season. The Rock Lobsters joined the FPHL in 2024 where, in two seasons, they compiled a record of 87-21-4 as one of the top teams in the FPHL in both seasons. They averaged 4486 fans per game last season, making them one of the more profitable FPHL teams, so it was clear their owners were looking for a greater challenge. Making the jump from the FPHL to the SPHL seemed like the logical choice, and the nearby Macon Mayhem will finally have a natural, in-state rival with the Rock Lobsters.
"This move simply makes sense from both a competitive and operational standpoint," Todd Mackin, President of Spire Holdings who owns the Rock Lobsters, said back on May 13. “Athens has proven in just two seasons that it is a tremendous hockey market. The fan support, the energy inside Akins Ford Arena, and the organization's commitment to innovation in game presentation have helped create one of the best experiences in minor professional hockey. We're excited to continue building on that momentum and delivering an incredible atmosphere for fans throughout Northeast Georgia."
Honestly, I have no qualms about the Rock Lobsters seeking out better competition as long they don't one-and-done this. I have full confidence they won't, so as long as the Spire Holdings group is willing to pay a little more for the SPHL's increased costs, I'm all for giving the Athens Rock Lobsters a shot at the SPHL level.
Joining the Rock Lobsters from the FPHL in the SPHL will be the Pee Dee IceCats, based in Florence, South Carolina. Announced on June 24, the IceCats had been conditionally accepted into the SPHL fold on May 30 before it was made official at the end of June. This won't be Florence's first time in the SPHL as the Pee Dee Cyclones played in the SPHL from 2005-07. Florence has hockey fans as 4763 fans came out to support the IceCats on average, and they're located just south of Fayetteville in North Carolina, giving the Marksman a natural rivalry between the two Carolina states. The reason for them leaving the FPHL for the SPHL seems a little more tenuous than Athens' reason for their jump.
While no one is saying anything out loud, it seems the owners of the Pee Dee IceCats were unhappy with the FPHL's expansion into the California cities of Fresno and Stockton (which will be covered on HBIC shortly). There are rumours of unprofessional behaviours between team and league executives at league meetings, accusations about improper ownership paperwork, and more, but it sounds like the owners of the IceCats looked at everything and decided to make their exit from the FPHL at this time, following Athens to the SPHL.
I'm not picking sides here, but Pee Dee's inclusion into the SPHL adds another strong minor-pro hockey maket. The IceCats set the FPHL single-game record for the 2025-26 season with 7837 fans showing up to see them beat the Athens Rock Lobsters 5-1 in January, they clearly have a solid rivalry with the Rock Lobsters after sweeping them out of the playoffs last season, and it appears their owners are committed to putting a winning product on the ice. That's the kind of commitment the SPHL needs from its franchises to remain strong.
While the league will push ahead with twelve teams next season, a thirteenth team is set to arrive in 2027 and it's a team that already had stakes in its community. The city of Mobile, Alabama will play home to the Mobile Mysticks hockey team as the expansion frachise gets itself setup for business over the next year. Owned by the Zawyer Group who has been moving minor-pro hockey teams into all sorts of communities in the southeast corner of the United States, the Mysticks will wear the logo seen to the left while sporting green, purple, and yellow in their colour scheme. Unveiled on June 16, the new SPHL franchise stated that the name was chosen with extensive community input including "a public naming process that generated more than 2,000 entries."
"I could not be more excited that Mobile's newest professional sports franchise will go by a familiar name - the Mysticks!" Mobile mayor Spiro Cheriogotis told Erica Thomas of 1819news.com, referencing the ECHL franchise that called the Alabama city home from 1995–2002. "This is incredible for our city, for the new Regions Arena and for local sports fans. I can't wait for the puck to drop. Go Mysticks!"
I've written about the Zawyer Group's growing hockey empire before, and it seems like their group of investors have no issues with dropping teams into cities if offered. The tough part about the ECHL Mysticks is that each year saw their attendance drop, a unpleasant trend for franchise owners. I suspect that if the SPHL Mysticks can find fun promotions and build a winning hockey team, the new Mysticks will likely be a part of Mobile's sports scene for a long time.
For a league that doesn't generate a ton of revenue, having three teams join in two seasons means that costs will go up for the other ten teams as there will be more bus trips to new destinations, more hotel stays, and more gameday meals on the road. It shouldb't be lost on anyone, though, that these teams have good arena sizes, their owners are motivated to succeed, and they have fanbases who are looking for better hockey. With tickets being less than $35 in all thirteen SPHL cities, it's fun, affordable hockey for everyone!
Five teams have won the SPHL championship since 2018, so increasing the number of teams will give more players a chance to play and, potentially, more teams a chance to win. I'm not saying that any of Athens, Pee Dee, or Mobile will win in their first seasons, but, assuming the Rock Lobsters and IceCats continue their efforts to put the best teams they can on the ice, the level of competition should rise in the SPHL. That's good for everyone in the SPHL, and that's how the SPHL can remain viable and profitable for years to come.
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!





















